TEN VIRGINIANS ARRESTED FOR SOLICITING MINORS VIA INTERNET

NOVA-DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force To Become Full-Time Operation

FAIRFAX – From Portsmouth to Richmond to Woodbridge, the backgrounds and nationalities are as different as the addresses. Yet each of the 10 men arrested by the Northern Virginia – DC Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force during the past three weeks do have one thing in common – they face charges stemming from attempted child sexual exploitation via the Internet.

            The arrests are the result of an 18-day online investigative operation conducted by 17 specially-trained investigators from the Alexandria, Arlington, DC-Metropolitan, Fairfax County, George Mason University, Manassas Park and Prince William County police departments, Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Virginia State Police.

            Investigators assume the online profile of a pre-adolescent teenager and visit common teen chat rooms. Within just 18 days, investigators opened 36 cases – one for each individual who solicited the “teenagers” for sex and other related activities. The recent operation yielded 10 arrests with 26 cases still pending.

The investigative initiative, conducted at the ICE Cyber Center Headquarters in Fairfax County, began Oct. 31 and concluded Nov. 10. Additional arrests are expected. Some of  the suspects traveled to meet the alleged teen at prearranged locations. Other suspects were arrested at their homes.

            “This initiative really demonstrates the change in demographic of the ‘typical’ online sexual predator,” said Capt. Gary M. Jenkins, Sr., Division Commander of the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation Fairfax Field Office. “Traditionally those arrested for charges related to the online solicitation of minors were white males. With the Internet becoming more accessible to more people, the online predators have become more diversified in population.”

            Search warrants were executed on the homes and/or businesses of those arrested during the investigative initiative. Charges vary by individual, but each arrestee was charged with at least one count of using a communication system in the use of a felony (Code of VA 18.2-374.3). All charges were filed in Fairfax County.

            This was the task force’s second planned initiative for 2005. The first operation was conducted in March and yielded more than 20 arrests.

Task Force to be Full-Time Operation        

To counter society’s rapid explosion of online child exploitation, pornography and predators, 20 local, state and federal agencies have partnered to create the NOVA-DC ICAC Task Force. The task force was established in November 2004 through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The grant provides for law enforcement training and equipment, and for conducting online investigations.

From January 2005 to the present, the NOVA-DC ICAC Task Force has received 210 CyberTips from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), opened 80 cases and made 29 arrests. The task force serves as the coordinating agency for CyberTipline complaints received from NCMEC, and referrals from other ICAC Task Forces to ensure these matters are thoroughly investigated.

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“In less than a year, the NOVA-DC ICAC Task Force has had an impact on law enforcement’s ability to detect, deter and prosecute individuals who use the Internet to prey on juveniles,” Jenkins said. “A full-time investigative presence reinforces our commitment to safeguarding our youth through aggressive proactive and reactive enforcement of cyber predators.”

“The task force is especially appreciative of its partnership with ICE, which has granted the task force use of its Cyber Center Headquarters to house our full-time investigative initiative,” continued Jenkins.

NOVA-DC ICAC Task Force members are as follows: Alexandria Police Department, Arlington Police Department, Fairfax City Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department, Falls Church Police Department, Herndon Police Department, Leesburg Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Manassas City Police Department, Manassas Park Police Department, Prince William County Police Department, Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, Vienna Police Department, Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department, George Mason University Police Department, NOVA Community College Police Department, Virginia State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DOJ-JJDP), and U.S. Postal Service.

The public is encouraged to help law enforcement in its fight against child sexual exploitation. To provide information or report a crime, please call the CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678 or go online at www.cybertipline.com.

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2005 NOVA-DC ICAC

TASK FORCE ONLINE OPERATION

Arrested Oct. 31, 2005:

Thanh “Nathan” Quach, 29, of the 6400 block of Oakwood Drive in Falls Church, VA

Arrested Nov. 3, 2005:

Mathews S. Finn, 35, of the 1800 block of Lakeview Avenue in Richmond, VA

Arrested Nov. 7, 2005:

Eric J. Hugo, 37, of the 7500 block of Billsam Court in Lorton, VA

Arrested Nov. 8, 2005:

Vikram Jeet Singh Bajwa, 20, of the 5900 block of Spruce Run Court in Centreville, VA

Frank W. Deans, 81, of the 4800 block of Manor Avenue in Portsmouth, VA

Kekobad Jassawalla, 52, of the 3600 block of Serendipity Road in Woodbridge, VA

Matthew Joseph Miller, 22, of the 20100 Braeton Bay Terrace in Ashburn, VA

Arrested Nov. 9, 2005:

Abdullah Mumun (AKA: Abdullah A. Mohammed), 25, of the 500 block of Foxcroft Road in Warrenton, VA

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Arrested Nov. 10, 2005:

Kyle Dale Gibson, 21, of the 7200 block of Oakland Avenue in Falls Church, VA

Arrested Nov. 19, 2005:

Antonio E. Agront, 39, of Manassas Park, VA

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